What to expect from Apple's October 16 event

With the dust mostly settled from the launch of the iPhone 6, Apple is turning to its other hardware. The company issued invitations to another event this week.

On Wednesday members of the media got those invitations - Apple has something planned for October 16, on its campus in Cupertino, CA.

The press thinks it'll be all about hardware - reports such as this one published at AppleInsider carry purported images of new iPad parts, including touchID fingerprint sensors Apple is expected to add to the tablet.

There's also evidence for refreshed iMacs, says 9to5Mac. Apple is reportedly planning to add retina displays to desktop machines for the first time - which would give their screens resolutions beyond the 4K range.

But all those pixels are expected to come with a price to match. ExtremeTech thinks the retina versions will be the new high-end option.

"While it's disappointing that only the biggest model is getting a Retina update, it's not particularly surprising. High-res displays are still very expensive, so it doesn't make sense for the cheaper low-end iMacs."

Some outlets are floating another possibility: Apple's diminutive Mac Mini was last refreshed in 2012.

"If there is one product that hasn't been updated in ages that fits this title the best, it's the Mac Mini. But you're not going to hold an event just for the Mac Mini. Or would you?"

"Design-wise, I don't think Apple's going to change anything too drastic. I think they're keeping the same design as the current generation Mac Minis, and just upgrade the specs to the more current Intel processor."

There's also consensus on the software side - Apple is thought to be readying its latest version of OS X for market.

Yosemite, as it's called, was announced in June and there's been a public beta ongoing since July. What better time to release it than with new computers to show it off?

Apple isn't addressing any of these rumors ahead of its conference. It's expected those of us without invitations will be able to tune into live streams on Thursday, via Apple's website and Apple TV.